Throughout south-western NSW and across Victoria, Silver Banksia (Banksia marginata) has mostly disappeared from the landscape over most agricultural areas. This loss of the original plant populations has occurred due to grazing by domestic and feral animals, direct damage from rabbits, eradication and destruction of rabbit warrens, and wildfire. If the species is to exist in the future and be incorporated into future revegetation projects it is essential that all the known or original existing plants across these areas are located, seed collected and the appropriate genetic material pooled into seed production areas.

A project to achieve just that is being co-ordinated by the Australian Network for Plant Conservation (ANPC), with assistance from Connecting Country, Greening Australia and a range of Catchment Management, landcare, and landholder groups.

A workshop to get people together to identify known sites and populations of Banksia marginata, and participate in developing a network of seed production areas is to be held at:
North Central Catchment Management Authority offices
628-634 Midland Highway Huntly, (Bendigo) Victoria 3551
on Wednesday March 11 2015, at 10am till 3pm. RSVP:
for catering purposes to Martin Driver, ANPC Project Manager, by phone: 0400170957 or email.
Download the flier here.

Overall the quality of the presentations was excellent with a number of the invited speakers highlighting the importance of developing and expanding our communication skills in promoting biodiversity issues with the broader public. Risk taking and “thinking outside the box” were also emphasised by a number of the speakers. Adapting to a rapidly changing world in terms of managing plant diversity is going to require effective, quick and strategic thinking with a certain amount of risk taking where we don’t have all the answers.

A more detailed conference summary will appear here soon and many of the presentations will be published in the next two editions of Australasian Plant Conservation. A big thank you to all the hardworking staff and volunteers at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, as well as all our sponsors, without whom the conference would not have been possible. Click here for more information on APCC10

Myrtle Rust is a major new threat to Australia’s flora.This information hub has been developed by the ANPC to significantly contribute to response capabilities here in Australia and overseas. Two elements are new and unique:
1/
consolidated Australian and global host lists which have not been published elsewhere. Updates of these host lists are anticipated to occur on a 3- to 6-monthly basis.
2/
a comprehensive global bibliography of literature on Myrtle Rust, which is a world first!

ANPC 2014 AGM

Read all about what the ANPC achieved in 2014 in David Coates' President's Report delivered to the ANPC AGM on 12 November 2014.

The ANPC has partnered with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne to deliver the Orchid Conservation Program which aims to save South East Australia’s unique and threatened orchids. This program is currently the only means by which these orchid species can be propagated in sufficient numbers to significantly reduce the threat of them becoming extinct in the wild. Click here for more information.

A big thank you to everyone who donated to our recent crowdfunding campaign. We raised an amazing $41,387! These funds have helped to pay for the ‘fit out’ of the new conservation laboratory which has recently opened at the Gardens to propagate and grow the threatened orchids for reintroduction projects.

Caladenia audasii (McIvor Spider-orchid), one of the threatened orchids being propagated by the Orchid Conservation Program. (J. Whitfield)

Promote your organisation or business to ANPC members!Advertising opportunities in APC are now available. All fees contribute towards the costs of printing and distributing APC.SPECIAL OFFER: If you advertise at least once in APC during 2015 you will receive complimentary ANPC membership for 2015, including all four editions of APC!

The Restore and Renew NSW project aims to create a website where practitioners can access genetic, environmental and ecological information for species considered most useful in restoration across NSW. The ANPC is working with the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust to identify the 200 plus species to include in the project.

Help us further promote and improve plant conservation in Australia! Donations of $2 or more to the ANPC Public Fund are tax-deductible.

The ANPC would like to thank WA member David Hancock, founder and consultant at Natural Area Consulting Management Services, for recently donating $2000 to the ANPC. This funding is contributing towards the revamp of the ANPC’s website. This will allow us to go 'on-line' for memberships, publications and workshop registrations, and greatly reduce our administrative costs. It will also help us to better showcase threatened plants and plant conservation projects from around Australia.

However, more funds are needed. If you can help, please fill in the relevant boxes on the donation form or membership form when you join or renew. A receipt will be issued for taxation purposes.

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